Frequently Asked Questions

We are pleased to welcome you to WorldSkills São Paulo 2015, and will make every attempt to help you share the information about and tell the great stories of this Competition - the first WorldSkills Competition held in Latin America. Please feel free to reach out to the WorldSkills Press Team with any questions or particular coverage interests you may have.

What are the dates and where is the location of this event?

From 11 to 16 August 2015, São Paulo will host the 43rd WorldSkills Competition, at Anhembi Park, one of the largest exhibition centres in Latin America, with a total 400,000 m2 area, 212,000 m2 of which will be used for the Competition, including the Samsung Pavilion, Sambadrome, and Convention Palace. This is the first time in Anhembi’s history that a single event occupies all three areas at the same time.

What is the WorldSkills Competition?

The WorldSkills Competition is held every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world that truly reflects global industry. The Competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected from skill competitions in WorldSkills Member countries and regions. They are all under the age of 23 years (except for four skills that have the age limit of 25). They demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks for which they study and/or perform in their workplace.

Where can I learn more about WorldSkills São Paulo 2015?

The best place for you to begin is the WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 press website at http://media.worldskills.org. During the days prior to the Competition and throughout the event, check this site regularly for news of interest to the press. For instance, currently on the site are a few “Fast Facts” about the Competition, as well as the Press Handbook which you can download for comprehensive information prior to your arriving on site.

For an immersive experience for those not onsite, please enjoy our virtual tour, real time reporting and flash news on the new Digital Platform called WorldSkills Experience: www.worldskills-experience.com.

What countries and regions have Competitors at WorldSkills São Paulo 2015?

Do I need a credential to cover WorldSkills São Paulo 2015?

All press representatives must register for press accreditation in order to access the event and the Press Centre. Please visit the onsite Press Accreditation, conveniently located in the Palace at Anhembi Park. However, press are not able to access the venue for coverage until 12 August, the first day of the Competition.

If I didn’t register before the event, what should I do?

If you didn’t register online you can go to the press accreditation centre located in the Palace. The centre is scheduled to open on 10 August, from 07:00-20:00; however, press are not able to access the venue for coverage until 12 August.

How can I get ready for the Competition?

Be sure to check the WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 press website regularly (http://media.worldskills.org). Also, when you register, you have the opportunity to sign up for a “Sneak Peek” press tour on 10 August at the Competition venue between 12:30-14:30. Press will be allowed to take photos and videos quickly as we tour the halls; however, they will not be permitted to stop at any of the skills areas, nor conduct any interviews. This is a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with the venue and have time to think about how you want to cover the Competition. Learn more from the Press Handbook on the press website, or direct your questions to the press contacts listed below.

Are there briefings for press during the Competition?

The Press Briefing Room is located in the Palace, and daily press briefings will be held there. The briefing varies a bit day-by-day; so, check the website and the Press Handbook for the daily schedule. Briefings will provide information about highlights of the day, guidance regarding access, and other relevant materials.

How can I learn about tickets to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies?

Registered press will have indicated if they have interest in covering Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Tickets to each Ceremony will be allocated at the special briefing in the Press Briefing Room on the days of the Ceremony. There will be an Opening Ceremony Briefing 11 August, 14:00-14:30. The Closing Ceremony Briefing will be held 16 August, 14:00-14:30. In order to get your press tickets to the Ceremonies you must attend each briefing.

Is there live streaming at any time during the Competition?

We are pleased to announce a live streaming service provided during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as during the Leaders Forum. The service will be available on the Digital Platform called “WorldSkills Experience” (www.worldskills-experience.com).

How can I arrange interviews with the official spokespersons of WorldSkills and/or WorldSkills São Paulo 2015?

If at all possible, interviews with official spokespersons should be arranged in advance through a member of the press team - who are listed on the press website at http://media.worldskills.org. On site, one of the team at the service counter in the Press Centre will be happy to assist.

Can I arrange interviews with Competitors?

Competitors have wonderful stories to tell, but at the Competition they are intensely focused and under pressure to keep that focus on performance in their skill. We want to keep them calm, and protect them from distraction. Therefore we require that interviews with Competitors must be requested through the Team Leaders of the respective country or regions, and interviews will be made possible at the sole discretion of the Team Leaders.

Can I access B-roll video from the Competition?

There will be a professional video team, WorldSkills TV, going around site and all side events capturing footage. They will create prepared vignettes and highlights reels daily, as well as upload all the raw footage onto a system called Aframe (www.aframe.com). You must have an Aframe account. Once you have an account, please send your user name to: aframe@worldskills.org. We will grant you access to the project.

Can I access photos from the competition?

Similar to the video footage, we will have several professional photographers onsite working to a very detailed photography plan. They will upload all their photos to Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/worldskills/collections). We will have a highlight set per day for those that are just looking for the best daily photos. But all the photos we will searchable and sorted into collections by skill and event.

At the time you register as press, you will be invited to join the “Sneak Peek” press tour at the Competition venue on 10 August 2015 between 12:30-14:30. This is your chance to become familiar with the layout of the venue, and to take photos and videos as we quickly tour the halls. We are not allowed to stop at any of the skill areas, nor conduct any interviews at all. The tour will be organized in small groups, and commentary will be in both English and Portuguese.

Will there be specific activities open to the press that I should know about?

Where can I find a schedule for the contest areas at the Competition?

There will be a daily competition schedule for each contest area available at the Press Centre for the duration of the Competition (C1 – C4). This schedule will include the start and end time of each competition as well as media highlights of activities happening in each contest area throughout the day.

Where can I obtain lunch?

There will be snacks and beverages available at the Press Center however you can purchase lunch at the restaurant/food court which is located at the center of the Samsung Pavilion.

Where can I work onsite?

The Press Centre is open to all accredited press and is the authorized space, outfitted perfectly for working press. In the Centre you will find desks with internet access, a printer, lockers, shelves with Competition promotional materials and press kits, TVs showing footage of the Competition, light refreshments, and a full time Communications team available to assist you. To obtain a pad lock for a locker, please go to the WorldSkills International Member Support booth located at the left entrance of the Palace. Check the hours for the Press Centre on the website or in your Press Handbook, but know it will remain open late on both the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony nights.

Is there are any information I need to know about the Closing Ceremony?

For press that have pre-registered, you can obtain wrist bands to the Closing Ceremony on the following dates: Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15 from 8:30 - 9:30am and 13:00-14:00, at the Press Briefing Room, at the Palace, Sunday, August 16 from 14:00 - 14:30 at the Press Briefing Room, at the Palace and Sunday, August 16 from 15:30 - 16:00 at the Closing Ceremony Venue, at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium by gate 13 at the Press information booth. Any bands that are not picked up by 16:00 on Sunday, August 16 will be distributed on a first come first serve basis to press that have not pre-registered for the Closing Ceremony.

Please note that the Winner's Circle is not in front of the stage, but behind the stage and press must stay there for the entire time. Once competitors leave the stage they will be directed to the Winner's Circle, in a room behind the stage. Press with wristbands for the Winner's Circle will not have access to the Press seats or tripod areas. There will not be wifi available at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium due to infrastructure.

During the Ceremony, there will be two podiums which will be alternating back and forth in order to keep the length of the Ceremony to a minimal amount of time. The medalists will be called up in random order to the podiums and each skill will be directed to a specific podium.

Following the Closing Ceremony, there will be a farewell party for the competitors. This event will be closed to media however the Press Centre at the Anhembi Parque will be open until 2am on the evening of the Closing Ceremony.